India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has backed Rohit Sharma to play his natural game but just wants the opener “to be a little-more selective”. In the second innings at Lord’s, Rohit Sharma got off to a good start scoring 21 runs off 35 deliveries. However, he fell for the bouncer trap set by Mark Wood. He slammed a six-over square leg fielder, but a ball later holed one out to Moeen Ali.
Rohit Sharma got out in a similar fashion in the first innings of the first Test but stressed that he will continue to play his natural game. Rohit, who is a natural player of pool shot once again went for it, only to find Moeen Ali in the fine-leg.
It's Stumps on Day 4⃣ of the 2nd #ENGvIND Test at Lord's!#TeamIndia move to 181/6 & lead England by 154 runs.
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Speaking at the post-day virtual press conference, India batting coach, Vikram Rathore said, “There will be analysis, of course, every time they get out, we will be having a talk, what happened and what they were thinking while batting or while they played that shot.
As far Rohit is concerned, I think he has made it clear that that is the shot which fetches him runs, that is the shot where he gets runs with, so he is going to play those shots and we are backing him to play those shots, only thing he needs to do is to be a little-more selective, with what to play and when to play,” he added.
Hitman pulls Wood once to the stands and again, unsuccessfully, to the fielder’s hands!
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Don’t think there was any issue with Virat Kohli’s dismissal: Vikram Rathour
India’s skipper Virat Kohli too was looking confident at the crease. However, he got out poking at a fullish delivery wide of off stump to Jos Buttler off Sam Curran’s bowling. The dismissal reminded many of India’s tour of England 2014 when Virat Kohli was getting out in a similar fashion. But batting coach Vikram Rathour stated otherwise. He said,
“Kohli, I don’t think there was any issue, it was just a lapse in concentration today, where his bat went to the ball, which he shouldn’t have played, and nothing more, I don’t think anything old (is) coming back.”
Rishabh Pant and Ishant Sharma will resume the Indian batting on day five at 181/6, with India leading by 157 runs.